Not too long ago (about 30 minutes ago), I went to the ATM machine. The bank had already closed and the doors were locked. A lady shuffled past me to put her card into the slot to open said closed doors. The card would not allow her access. After two more attempts, she looked to me for assistance in which I was happy to comply. My card worked expeditiously.

She walks up to the ATM and attempts to obtain monies. Once again, her card does not work only this time the machine emits a loud repetitive beep.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

You get the idea.

She once again looks to me but this time it’s not for assistance. She tells me to go ahead and see if my card will work. I go up to the machine and staring at me is a prompt to enter my PIN. I decide it’s a good idea to tell her that her card worked and it was now looking for her PIN. She advised me to go ahead of her. I tried to explain to her that she should go as it was asking for her PIN. I think it fell upon deaf ears as she was looking at something shiny in the vestibule.

Facing the ATM, I decide to enter what I think is her PIN. I entered the numerical equivalent of DUMB. To my dismay, it did not work. The screen then displayed that the incorrect PIN was entered and to re-insert your card. I glanced over at her and she was still looking at the shiny thing. I put my card in and the machine started blaring again:

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

You get the idea.

I put the card in again and the screen prompted me to enter my PIN. For security purposes, I will not disclose that information. I grab my monies and turn to the lady and said, “It’s okay. You just got to put it in twice before it works.”

The lady looked at me in shock. Flushed red with embarrassment at what I just said aloud, I left the bank.